Malibu Day Trip from LA: Beaches, Canyons & the California Dream

Malibu sits just 30 miles from Downtown Los Angeles but occupies an entirely different California — one of rugged Santa Monica Mountains, wind-scoured beaches, and celebrity-studded Point Dume. The Pacific Coast Highway connecting LA to Malibu is one of the great American drives: ocean to the left, mountains to the right, surfers at every break, and seafood stands where you can eat extraordinarily well for almost nothing. El Matador State Beach, reached by a staircase down the bluffs, offers sea stacks and sea caves that photograph like a film set. Zuma Beach handles the volume crowds that El Matador's limited parking prevents.

The Malibu wine and dining scene has matured considerably. The Malibu Farm pier restaurant is the iconic stop, but Nobu Malibu remains a reliable splurge for its combination of food and setting. Malibu's wine country, hidden in the Santa Monica Mountains above the coast, produces genuinely fine Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc — Rosenthal and Cielo are both accessible on weekends. For outdoors enthusiasts, Malibu Creek State Park in the mountains was the filming location for M*A*S*H and offers excellent hiking through dramatic canyon scenery. An early-morning departure from LA, beating the PCH traffic, is the difference between a frustrating drive and a meditative one. Return via the inland Kanan Dume Road for a completely different view of the landscape.